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The world is so busy these days, it can be tough to sync up with one friend’s schedule on a regular basis, let alone FIVE. Riders Jess, Emily, Lily, Nathan and Sam manage to hold each other accountable and show up to ride week after week together. Their dedication and commitment inspires us on the daily. And when one of them isn’t there, you can be sure they call the other out on it. Continue reading →

Spring is in full swing here in Boston. We are finally hitting 70 degrees, the sun is out and we are all trying to do more things outside! Spinning indoors all Fall and Winter has got us itching to cycle outdoors! It is definitely a sign of spring when those Hubway bike stations start popping up around the city (a sight for sore eyes).

I asked one of our Handle Bar instructors, Ashley Wagner to chat with us about her road cycling experience, the difference between indoor spin and road cycling. Ashley picked up road cycling right after college and made the bold decision to ride CROSS COUNTRY. Cross Country on a bike saddle, this girl must love to cycle (both indoors and out!!).

What is Road Cycling? Tell us about your experience on the road and across the country? 🙂

Road cycling is one of my favorite things to do (beside riding inside at The Handle Bar of course 😉 ). When I ride outside I like to tour. Touring means I am not racing but using the bike to ‘tour’ an area. It is one of the best ways to explore. I love it because you get a better prospective then you would in a car, but you can cover more ground then you can on foot. Also who doesn’t love being outside on a beautiful day and getting a little exercise while you are at it!

How did you get into cycling?

I actually starting spinning inside and really liked the workout I was getting on a stationary bike so the natural next step was to take it outside. I told my sister about wanting to try road cycling. Naturally, my sister who is awesome… but a little insane, immediately found this summer cycling program called Bike and Build and convinced me to sign up. In the spirt of go big or go home, having no outside cycling experience, I signed up for a 3 month long bike tour across the country (yes 0-4000miles).

I had 6 months to train, which was a god send. The hardest part surprisingly wasn’t the fitness but was feeling confident on a bike, on the road, with cars. I like many of you, hadn’t ridden a bike since I was 10 so my skills were pretty rusty. I was able to figure it out with only a few minor falls and come June was had quit my job and was ready to ride my bike every day.

Tell us about that how was the trip?

Turns being a little crazy paid off, it was the time of my life. If you have the time I would 100% recommend doing it. Obviously there were some growing pains at the beginning but I was so happy to be riding my bike, exploring, and being outside every day it didn’t really matter that my butt hurt. We Went from Portsmouth, NH to Vancouver BC. I was fortunate enough to ride alongside the Great Lakes, and over the Rocky’s thought Glacier National Park and put some serious miles on my bike. I learned a lot about my body and what it can do. I also learned a lot about cycling, which is something try to bring into my classes at The Handle Bar.

Is there a difference between a Spin Class and Road Cycling? What is harder?

Honestly, I think spinning inside is harder. This is because you are in control. I am always so impressed when I see riders turn it up one extra notch or really give themselves a challenge. When you are outside you have a hill and you have no choice, you have to get over it. Inside, it takes much more mental strength to turn up that hill and intentionally make your ride harder.

For someone that has never road cycle before: How would you recommend transitioning from indoor cycling to the road?

There are two things that are hard for people when they go from sinning to the cycling; clipping in and cars. Luckily for Handle Bar riders you already have practice clipping in, which will really go a long way. Before setting out on the street with cars and obstacles I would try clipping and unclipping a few times to be sure you know your peddles and your shoes. The other challenge is cars. They are big, fast and could squash you like a bug. This can be especially tricky in cities like Boston with few bike lanes and windy roads. When first starting out I would recommend a bike path, one of my favorites is the southwest corridor that goes through Jamaica Plan and Roxbury it is nice, and wide and off the street and a great place to get started.

What are some tips you have?

Wearing a helmet is cool. I know it is a hard struggle to especially right after I have showered but my brain is too important to be vain.

Get a rain guard, you never know when it is going to rain and having this on my bike with make you so much more comfortable.

Start with a buddy! It was great to have my sister with me. She laughed at me when I fell over at a stop light because I couldn’t unclip in time. I also had someone with me when we road 30miles in the wrong direction in Indiana and we had to hitch hike our way to the guest site for the night. It is a great sport but it can be little intimidating to get started if you have someone with you it will make it a little easier and more fun when you stop for an ice cream break!

It’s ok to fall, lets face it…it’s going to happen. You are going to feel so much better when you finally do and realize it isn’t that bad. (But be safe out there please!)

Ashley taking her own advice about falling!

You can catch Ashley teach in Southie on Fridays at 7:15am and 4:30pm OR on the roads of Boston cruising on her bike. So be sure to hop into one of her classes or tweet at her (@amwagner23) if you have more questions about road cycling! As always if you want us to dig a little deeper into anything Handle Bar related, please reach out to us!

Snowed in?Cabin fever already have you feeling stir crazy? Well, don’t fret! We’re hosting a Juno ride tonight at 5pm in our Southie studio for all of our riders who live within walking distance and can safely get to and from the studio. We’re all about getting our sweat on, even though the snow is piling up outside. But remember, safety first, HBers!

Can’t leave your home safely but still want to get your sweat on? Try this at-home tabata style training workout that’ll leave you sweaty and ready for your next HB ride…or to start shoveling:

Circuit 1 (4 minutes):

20 second mountain climbers

10 second rest

20 second squat jumps

10 second rest

Keep repeating until the 4 minutes are up!

Circuit 2 (4 minutes):

20 second jumping jacks

10 second rest

20 second spider style elbow taps (assume high plank position, alternate tapping your left knee to left elbow and right knee to right elbow)

10 second rest

Keep repeating until the 4 minutes are up!

Circuit 3 (4 minutes):

20 seconds speed skaters

10 seconds rest

20 seconds burpees

10 seconds rest

Keep repeating until the 4 minutes are up!

Circuit 4 (4 minutes):

20 seconds jump rope (with or without actual jump rope)

10 seconds rest

20 seconds split squats (jumping lunges, alternating legs)

10 seconds rest

Keep repeating until the 4 minutes are up!

Repeat the entire workout 1 time through for a serious calorie and fat burn – all in less than 35 minutes!

Before you start that at-home workout or head out to the HB, put on a pot of this hearty Kale and Potato Soup (assuming you stocked up on Kale, just like those smart New Yorkers did pre-blizzard, causing a city-wide shortage of kale). But on the real, this soup is a perfect post-workout blizzard meal because ingredients can easily be substituted (spinach for kale, turkey for chicken, etc.) and it’s packed chock-full of protein and hearty veggies.

Add broth, water and black pepper, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add cooked sausage, potatoes, red pepper flakes and bring back to a simmer. Cook covered for about 4 minutes. Add kale and bring back to a simmer.

Cook partially covered until the potatoes and kale are cooked, about 5-6 minutes. Adjust salt if needed.

Hopefully we’ll be back in the saddle all day tomorrow, but for the most up to date info, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Stay safe, stay warm, stay sweaty!

Have you ever questioned what you want from life?

As kids, we were always dreaming. I was almost always wondering what life would be like when I was 29 (why 29? I have absolutely zero idea…). Would I be a professional figure skater, a chef, a veterinarian? The choice was mine. But as most of you can probably relate, these dreams and visions have been clouded over time by pressure from work, school, and just plain life. Sure, by going to school and work each day, we’re on a path going somewhere. But my question is where – and more importantly, why?

Forgive the heaviness or for sounding corny, but this question was something I never seriously considered until this summer, when I took on a part-time job at lululemon athletica down here in DC. As part of our job training, we are coached and taught how to set goals for ourselves. When I tell people this, it usually garners one of two responses – an “oh, that’s cool…goals? Who sets goals?” or a more delighted, “I wish my job taught me how to set goals”. These lukewarm reactions leave me wondering, why are we not taught how to set goals for ourselves while we’re young – like, in grade school?

Left without an answer to this phenomenon, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned about goal setting, and provide a few different strategies, regardless of where you want to be in life.

Create a vision for your life in 10 years – establishing a clear picture of where you see yourself this far in the future will give you a pretty good idea about what matters to you, and will inevitably answer the looming question – what do you want from life? This vision isn’t dependent on whether you’re happy with your life right now. You very well may be, but taking a moment to dream and see what you want to add to or subtract from your life is an effective way of identifying small goals that will drive you towards your ultimate happiness.

Think about who or what you value most in your life right now—Does the future you value the same things as the present you?

Think micro – What are the parts of your vision that are not present in your life at this very moment? What things do you need to remove from your life to make your vision a reality? Pick actionable items – things you can change with a concerted effort.

Be SMART– I’m going all grade school with you right now, but, the best goals are SMART goals. Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-frame specific. To give you a quick example, one of my one-year goals, set in August 2014, was to complete a Tough Mudder by November of 2014 (crushed it at the end of September 2014!). This goal directly relates to my vision, as I visualize myself in 10 continuing to be fit and healthy.

For many of us, weight loss or “getting in shape” is a common goal. I get it – look good, feel good. Feel good, look good. I’m in the same boat. So, if that’s your goal, here are some steps you can take to help you achieve exactly what you want. First, pick a measurable goal – shoot for a certain number on the scale, a pants size, or a body fat percentage. Don’t make it crazy – 20 pounds in one month might be a bit too ambitious. Don’t worry – if your goal is 20 pounds, it is totally achievable, just make sure to give yourself adequate time. Sounds like one SMART goal to me…

Now we challenge you. Create a vision for yourself, and create some goals to go along with it. If your goal is weight loss or getting in shape, I encourage you to download the Pact App to help keep you accountable and on track. It’s free to download, but you commit yourself to a dollar amount per week. If you meet your goals for the week, you keep your money and get paid by other users who have failed to meet their weekly goals. Getting paid to workout and crush goals? Sounds good to me.

The Pact App is hosting a ride at the HB Tonight. Reserve your spot here, and come out for more info, swag bags, and a great Thursday night sweat sesh. See you in the saddle!

There are two things in this world I enjoy more than anything else: traveling and fitness. However, the ease with which the two go together is pretty variable from place to place. Some places (mostly in the US), it’s super easy to fit in your daily sweat; and others, it can be a bit more difficult—like when I tried to go running in Ecuador and got chased by a few vicious dogs. That made me sweat. But no matter what, I try my best to stay active and explore how others incorporate fitness or just general activity into their daily lives.

In the past year I’ve had the chance to explore the fitness scenes in Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. I can say with confidence—no matter how fit Forbes ranks us—that Boston is the most “fit” for fitness. The charisma of this city makes it so easy to be active whether you love it or you hate it. We can walk almost everywhere and have some of the most scenic running and cycling routes. We are the home of the most popular marathon in the country. But most of all, we have the best sense of community I’ve yet to come across. We are #BostonStrong and we have been for much longer than a mere four months.

Outside of New England, Bostonians have a reputation of being abrasive and unwelcoming—something about our harsh accents and great driving skills. But just like one can’t actually park his car in Harvard yard, one can’t condemn our sense of community, either. We’ve got each other’s back no matter in time of tragedy or just daily life.

Boston’s group exercise scene is a growing community within a community. It’s an awesome mix of inspiration, support, and sweat. At The Handle Bar we are constantly building our community and welcoming riders old and new to come join our party. Bring a friend, or two, or five and see what we’re all about. Whether you come for one of our Glo-cycle class (August 29!) or a casual ride during your lunch break, we can guarantee you’ll have a blast—and manage to get a great workout in.

I think it’s safe to say that we all want to be happy.

We all have our own idea of what happiness is and one day—if we’re not already there, of course—we’ll get there. We all have dreams and aspirations and are working hard to make them all a reality. But, sometimes we get stuck. We all hit the occasional speed bump, and sometimes these setbacks can really stand in the way of our progress. What if I were to contend that the size and duration of such setbacks are products of our mindset not only in times of adversity, but at all times? Could a positive attitude make all the difference?

I say, it could. Now, this is not to say that you have to be peppy and upbeat shout-it-from-a-mountaintop positive all day, every day. It’s actually the exact opposite. It’s more about who you are on the inside, rather than the outside. It’s entirely possible to give off positive vibes without even uttering a word. You might think that you’re just not that kind of person – that it’s just not in your DNA to be happy everyday. But even the most pessimistic of us all can easily turn things around. If you train yourself daily to see the bright side, regardless of the situation—good, bad, big, or small—you will find it even easier to be happy every single day. You’ll be able to experience happiness daily. Instead of happiness serving as your ultimate goal, you’ll be able to use your happiness and positive attitude as a means to achieve whatever personal or professional goals you might have. And the best part? This happiness and positivity will shine through you onto those around you. Bettering the world begins with bettering yourself. 🙂